Author Spotlight - Sally Clements

I'm test driving some new minxy spotlight questions today - here goes!


• What is your writing process?
I write in the mornings, after getting the kids off to school, and write until 2.00 which is my first school run. Apart from that, I grab random moments on my Alphasmart, and download them onto computer the next morning!

• Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
Um...I tend to go shoe shopping! No, seriously, I don't because there are too many days when it's difficult to keep to it, and I have a cupboard full of shoes... What I do is grab a coffee, sit down and promise myself a reward (usually licorice all-sorts, a handful) if I get 1,000 words done. Once I've done that, I'm happy, and usually that kick starts the muse. I listen to music, and also burn scented candles too, to help get me into writing mode.
• Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
Gosh, no. I should have though...terrible writer's spread going on here! I walk around the garden, and weed.
• Do you believe in writer's block?
No. But I believe in writer's burnout. Sometimes it's important to do something else - concentrate on other areas of your life, and be gentle on yourself. If you are hassling yourself to write and giving yourself a hard time, you can be darned sure the muse will disappear!
• Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
No, I haven't. But I have got about half a book full of real life incidents that I write to release tension. It's a biting comedy, but I'd get sued if I published it!
• In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I spend a lot more time on the internet than I'd anticipated - and a lot more time doing promotion.
• Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I never turn down the opportunity to meet new readers. I blog regularly, tweet constantly, do every interview I'm offered, and am polite. I also try to put my personality out there - build genuine connections with like minded people. I've been published about a year now, and I'm still learning! (tips gratefully accepted!)
• What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Make sure you have a blog, twitter, and interact. Be helpful and polite to others, good karma bounces back!
• What did you learn while writing this book?
My heroine, Melo, is a caring, nurturing person, and she could easily have become a bit of a pushover. She made me examine my own feelings about giving - she gives, and other's take. But she learns to stay true to herself and not be taken advantage of. She owns her power, and squares up to grumpy, gorgeous Cade - with lots of fiesty fireworks. I learnt a lot of what I believe deep down, writing her!
• What was the most fun part of writing this book?
Definitely immersing myself in the warm heat of Isola dei Fiori. Researching Tuscan recipies, looking at pictures of lovely islands, imagining myself breathing in the scent's of lavender and rosemary...sigh... with Cade by my side, of course!
• And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
He loves his cabin in the woods in Canada, on the lakeshore...I think that's where he'd love to be with Melo.

Here's more about the story:
Capable, financial advisor, Melo Bellucci always knew when it came to organising her sister’s wedding she’d in charge. After all, her sister, Rosa is notoriously scatterbrained. But there’s a silver lining in the form of the Best Man, Melo’s childhood crush, Cade West.

When Cade returns to the Tuscan island, Isola dei Fiori, he’s prepared to mix business with pleasure, especially when he meets Melo again. The confident, sexy woman is a world away from the lanky tomboy he remembers, and attraction burns between them instantly.
But when he discovers that the perfect site for his hotel. idyllic Paradise Beach, belongs to Melo, rather than her father, can their relationship survive, when there are two plans for Paradise?

Marrying Cade is available now for Kindle at Amazon.uk, Amazon.com and for other email formats at The Wild Rose Press, and ebook sellers worldwide.
 
Sally is @sallywriter on twitter.
 
And her blog is here.
 
Thanks for having me, Minxes!